Qatar Quietly Drops 5% Award Discount for Gold and Platinum Members
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Gold and Platinum members of Qatar Airways’ Privilege Club used to enjoy a 5% discount on award bookings made online or through the app. However, on March 8, 2025, members noticed that this discount was no longer available as Qatar Airways canceled it without any prior notice.
Impact on Gold and Platinum Members
The 5% discount allowed Gold and Platinum members to redeem fewer Avios for award flights. For example, a Business Class ticket from Sydney to Doha, typically priced at 70,000 Avios, would have cost 66,500 Avios with the discount. The removal of this benefit means members now need to use more Avios for the same redemptions, reducing the overall value of their accumulated miles.
Remaining Benefits for Elite Members
Despite this change, Gold and Platinum members still enjoy several privileges, including:
- Qcredits: Gold members receive 40 Qcredits, while Platinum members receive 60 Qcredits, which can be used for upgrades, excess baggage, or lounge access.
- Bonus Avios: Gold status offers a 75% bonus on Avios earned, and Platinum status provides a 100% bonus, enabling faster accumulation of miles.
- Lounge Access: Both tiers grant access to Qatar Airways lounges, with Platinum members also receiving guest passes.
- Priority Services: Privileges such as priority check-in, boarding, and baggage handling continue to be available.
- Guaranteed Seats: Gold members can secure a confirmed Economy seat on fully booked Qatar Airways flights if booked within 48 hours of departure.
You can check out the full list of remaining perks and details on Qatar Airways’ official website here.
| Benefits | Gold | Platinum |
|---|---|---|
| Membership benefits | ||
| Tier bonus1 | 75% | 100% |
| Family accrual rate – Flights | 100% | 100% |
| Family accrual rate – Non air partner transactions | 100% | 100% |
| Qcredits | 40 | 60 |
| No Avios expiry | – | Yes |
| Airport benefits | ||
| Priority check-in | Yes | Yes |
| Priority stand-by (waitlist) | Yes | Yes |
| Extra Baggage Allowance | 20kgs or 1 piece | 25kgs or 2 piece |
| Lounge access | Self + 1 guest | Self + 2 guests |
| Complimentary ‘one visit’ Guest lounge passes at Hamad International Airport | 4 | 5 |
| Priority Boarding | Yes | Yes |
| Complimentary Al Maha Services at Hamad International Airport | Self + guest | Self + 2 guests |
| Special offer on Al Maha Services | 10% | 10% |
| Award benefits | ||
| Award fee waivers | Yes | Yes |
| Better availability for award seat redemptions | Yes | Yes |
| Flexi Awards | Yes | Yes |
| Travel Coordinator | Yes | Yes |
| “Shop and Pay with Avios” at Qatar Duty Free and Member Service Centre1 | Yes | Yes |
| Preferential “Shop and Pay with Avios” rate at Qatar Duty Free and Member Service Centre | Yes | Yes |
| Reservation benefits | ||
| Guaranteed seat in Economy Class | Yes | Yes |
| Preferred seats | Yes | Yes |
| Special discount on seat selection | – | – |
| Complimentary seat selection | Self + guest(s) | Self + guest(s) |
| Other benefits | ||
| Personalised membership card Suspended currently until further notice | – | Yes |
| Digital membership card | Yes | Yes |
| Personalised baggage tagsSuspended currently until further notice | – | Yes |
| Priority baggage handling | Yes | Yes |
| Special offer on purchases at Qatar Duty Free | 15% | 20% |
| Special offer on Qatar Airways Holidays packages | 5% | 5% |
| Access to “Priority Services” at our Contact Centres | Yes | Yes |
Lack of Communication
The absence of an official announcement regarding the removal of the 5% discount has raised concerns among loyal customers. Such uncommunicated changes can erode trust and may impact long-term loyalty to the airline.
This is not the first change without warning, last spring they increased the fee for redemption of tickets, although they later wrote about it, but it was not after the fact.
Conclusion
While the removal of the 5% award discount is a setback for Gold and Platinum Privilege Club members, the program still offers valuable benefits. However, transparent communication from Qatar Airways regarding such changes would help maintain trust and satisfaction among its frequent flyers.
What are your thoughts on this change? Has it affected your loyalty to Qatar Airways? Share your experiences in the comments below.
